Vanderwende Wins Republican Primary

On Thursday, September 6, Jesse Vanderwende won the Republican primary for the 35th State Representative district. Vanderwende received 1,254 votes, which was just over 58 percent of the vote. His opponent, Robert “Bob” Mitchell received 920 votes, just under 42 percent of the vote.

“I would just truly like to thank the voters in the 35th district for supporting me and giving me a chance to serve,” Vanderwende said. “I will work hard to grow Delaware’s economy, protect our second amendment rights and work towards better infrastructure here in the 35th district.”

Mitchell congratulated Vanderwende on his win and, in a Facebook post, reminded him that the state faces serious issues that must be addressed.

“I can’t say thank you enough to each person who worked so hard in this campaign and to each voter who came out in this heat to fulfill their civic responsibility,” Mitchell said. “The 35th district had the highest turnout in the entire state. That is something to be proud of. We cannot continue to put off the difficult decisions that need to be made immediately or they will only get worse. For everyone who got involved, please stay informed and stay involved. It’s the only way we can make a difference.”

There is no challenger from the Democratic party for the 35th District, so Vanderwende will be the representative for that district. He will be sworn in to the seat in January 2019. He will replace Representative Dave Wilson who decided to run for the Senate seat vacated by Senator Gary Simpson. Senator Simpson will retire at the end of this legislative session.

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